MCLAUGHLIN: "ALL THAT HARD WORK GOT US THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE"

After first back-to-back defeats under Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Jon McLaughlin explained that he knows the team are a lot better than what they have shown in the past two games.

Defeat on Tuesday against Accrington Stanley and another loss on Saturday against play-off chasing Newport County AFC was ‘disappointing’ as McLaughlin tells us they are looking to pick up soon although his side are hurting.

“It was disappointing obviously and all the lads are very disappointed.

“These last two games we know we are better than what we have shown.

“We really wanted to go into these games to get maximum points like we have been all along but were hurting at the moment but I’m sure we will pick up soon because we look at that league table and we know we still deserve to be up there.

“All that hard work has got us there in the first place.”

A good performance in the first half wasn’t matched in the second half as Newport came out strongest.

Before either of the Albion substitutes could really have an effect, Albion found themselves behind on 59 minutes. A long ball into the box was well controlled by Yan Klukowski who instantly laid the ball into the path of STOREY who smashed a right foot shot across goal and inside the far post.

The one real opportunity that Newport had left McLaughlin frustrated as he didn’t think his team deserved to lose.

“I don’t think so.

“When we go to teams or teams come to us they are desperate to beat us but at the same time I don’t think they go out of their way to really attack us.

“They set up well and make it very difficult for us but you have to expect that when you are a team at the top of the league.

“It becomes teams cup finals and they put in that extra effort and they work really hard to make sure you can’t break them down and like you say unfortunately there wasn’t many chances at either end, it was a tight game.

“Sometimes it is just that once chance, we have won games this season like that and it is important not to forget that we have been on the other end of these results.